"Koori" the white haired demon said to his friend. "Inform the the cook to have food ready, and the girls room ready." He turned on his heels, "Woman, follow me."
I stayed down, uncertain of what action I wanted to take. I didn't want to do anything this demon said. He was just using me. The priestess, Hana, had said I would be useful to him, that I might be able to break the curse that possessed him. Didn't I get a say in this? Would I not be able to get a word in to this guy?
"You want to eat or not?" he asked, holding out his hand to help me to my feet. I reached for his hand and allowed him to pull me up. His hand was rough and calloused but warm.
"Hyaku!" Koori called out before we exited the room. "Remember that tomorrow is the day again." So his name was Hyaku. What was tomorrow, I wondered? Something special?
Hyaku nodded and lead me out of the room and down the corridor to the dining hall where we would eat. We passed numerous demons on the way, all bowing respectfully as we passed and whispering amongst each other. I frowned. It seemed as though not many people such as myself made it into this place very often.
His strides were long and even, slightly too quick for me to keep up. I had to walk quickly to keep pace with him. I glanced up at him. He was several inches taller than myself, but when you were as short as myself, that came as no surprise. He looked rather stern and guarded. I wondered what he was trying to guard.
Sighing, I turned my attention back to the corridor, taking note on how intricate the designs on the walls were. "Woman, you are going to have to learn from Hana to be a priestess. If you are to stay here, you'll have to do something to keep your stay."
I frowned. "My name isn't woman; it's Kiana. Who says I am even going to do this? No one asked my opinion. I don't want to be here."
"You'd rather go back to that hell hole I plucked you out of?" he shot back, raising an eyebrow at me.
I looked away. The truth was that I never wanted to go back. But, it was the only place I could call home. The only place I had ever known, to be in an unusual environment like I was now was crazy, and I had no idea how to react. I didn't answer him.
He stopped suddenly and pushed me into a doorway. It was the dining hall. A big table sat at the center of the room. He gestured to a chair before he himself took a seat.
"I get to eat with your highness?" I asked sarcastically, taking a seat in a chair at the end.
He shook his head. "I don't have to be nice, you know," he warned, not looking at me.
"This is nice?" I asked, flicking my hair over my shoulders. "Forgive me for my impudence."
"That mouth is going to get you into trouble," he told me angrily. "I don't take kindly to smartasses."
I shrugged, ignoring him, refusing to allow him to get me riled up. A maid came into the room then and set plates before us before disappearing back out the door. I tore into the food hungrily. I hadn't eaten since yesterday for breakfast, so I was starved. I didn't care how badly I looked our how unlady like I was.
"Did you even taste your food?" he asked, disgust written all over his face.
I shrugged. Taking a sip of the water. I watched as he ate the food on his plate. He came off a lot meaner than what he was, I decided. But, that didn't mean I liked him any more. I still hated him.
